Extra Hugs (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)
by ilna
Summary: Steve and Catherine recall an evening from Steve's reserves duty.


**Notes:** Huge thanks to Mari and Sammy as always for being their awesome selves. Thanks to Mari for the title!

Readers and REAL McRollers - Thank you for your amazing support! It is always appreciated!

**Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

_Extra Hugs (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)_

"Th'ow Cammie ball, Gwace!" Angie squealed from the beach, pointing emphatically at Cammie's ball in Grace's hand.

"Here goes," Grace said, smiling broadly. She threw the ball into the shallow surf. "Go get it, Cammie!"

"Go, Cammie!" Angie echoed, clapping as they watched the excited dog bound into the water to fetch the ball before bringing it back for another go.

From the Adirondack chairs set up in the grass, Steve, Catherine, Danny, and Gabby sipped glasses of post-dinner wine and watched the energetic trio.

"I think all three will sleep well tonight," Gabby observed, chuckling.

"Definitely," Catherine agreed.

"Make that four," Danny quipped, tipping his wine glass slightly to indicate his drink.

Gabby shook her head fondly at him and turned to Steve and Catherine. "I'm still thinking about that powerful award ceremony the other night," she said. "I meant to say how lucky it was that it didn't fall during your reserves duty, Steve."

"Yeah, cut it a little close there, but it worked out," Steve said. He reached for Catherine's hand on her armrest, interlacing their fingers, and smiled softly at her. "Wouldn't have wanted to miss that for anything."

She squeezed his hand, smiling back.

"That was such a moving speech," Gabby continued. "Fortunately I always keep some tissues in my purse."

Danny nodded. "I'm not ashamed to admit I used one."

"I was so glad Jackson felt comfortable sharing his story," Catherine said. "Could very well start some ripples of his own."

"Absolutely," Steve agreed.

The other two nodded, sipping their wine as they reflected on the evening.

After a moment, Danny inhaled, shifting the conversation. "So, another reserves duty is in the rearview. Went off without a hitch?" he asked, and took a sip of his wine, assuming he knew the answer to the question.

Steve and Catherine exchanged a look.

"Almost," Steve said.

* * *

_After dinner a few days before the end of Steve's two-week reserves duty, Angie climbed up onto the sofa in the living room and leaned over the back to look out the window. Cammie planted herself closeby, watching._

_"What are you doing, Angie?" Catherine asked as she set out a sorting game. "I thought we were going to play with your shapes."_

_"Daddy p'ay?" Angie asked, glancing back over her shoulder at Catherine._

_"Ohh, honey, no. Remember? Daddy's doing his reserves duty, he won't be home tonight. But we'll call him a little later so you can see him."_

_Tears began to form in Angie's eyes and she looked back out the window. "Daddy?" she said plaintively. "No Daddy?"_

_Catherine rose swiftly and moved to the sofa next to Angie, putting a comforting hand on her back and rubbing slowly. "Daddy's at the base. Where we watched him march last week, remember? He misses you so much, and he'll be home in just a few more days."_

_Angie looked at her, the tears starting to roll down her cheeks. She looked out the window again._

_"Let's play with your shapes," Catherine said, trying to distract her._

_"Daddy," Angie cried, turning toward Catherine and burying her head against her neck. "Wan' Daddy!"_

_Cammie pushed her head over Catherine's legs, trying to nuzzle the weepy toddler._

_"Ohh, baby girl," Catherine cooed, rubbing her back. "I know, I miss him, too. You've been such a big girl the last week." She glanced at her watch behind Angie. "Tell you what, it's late enough, let's see if Daddy can talk a little earlier than normal."_

_As Angie continued to cry quietly against her, Catherine shifted to pull her phone from her pocket and typed out a quick text to Steve. She set the device down on the cushion while waiting for a reply, going back to rubbing Angie's back and comforting her with soft words._

_A few minutes later, the answering text came._

_"Look, Angie, Daddy's calling," Catherine said, lifting the phone up to her eye level._

_"Daddy?" Angie said, sniffling. She turned her head toward the phone, still laying against Catherine's chest for comfort._

_Steve's face appeared on the videochat, his brow already furrowed. "Hey, what's–" was all he got out before Angie cried, "Daddy!" while reaching for the phone._

_"Angie," he said, his face instantly distraught. In all their previous calls, her face had lit up the moment she saw him. He looked at Catherine. "What's going on? Is she sick? Her teeth?"_

_"No," Catherine said calmly, trying to keep Angie from inadvertently ending the call. "Like I said in the text, she's just really missing you tonight."_

_"She's been fine since I left …" he said confusedly. He refocused on Angie. "Hey, honey, it's okay. I'll be home in a couple more days."_

_"Wan' Daddy," Angie said, pressing her hand to the screen as if she could reach him._

_"I know, I want to be home with you, too," he said, his words calm but his face still registering his agitation. "Just a couple more days," he said again. "And then I won't have to go away for a whole 'nother year." He glanced at Catherine. "I've got some time tomorrow around lunch, maybe you can–" _

_"We'll be there," she said before he could even finish._

_"Hear that, Angie? You and Mommy are going to come see me tomorrow at the base."_

_"See Daddy?" she said, sniffing._

_"Yeah, you'll come see me tomorrow and before you know it, I'll be home."_

_"So how about we play with your shapes for a little bit, then we'll take a bath, and then it'll be time for bed," Catherine said. "And when you wake up, it'll be time to go see Daddy."_

_"See Daddy," Angie said again, smiling slowly._

_"There's my smiling girl," Steve said._

_"Can you blow Daddy a kiss bye-bye?" Catherine prompted._

_Angie put her hand to her lips and blew him a kiss._

_He smiled. "Bye, Angie. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow."_

_Catherine looked at him, noting the troubled look lingering behind his smile. "Hey, I'll call you after she falls asleep, okay?"_

_He met her eyes, reading the concern there, and nodded. "Okay."_

_"Love you."_

_"Love you," he returned. He looked back at Angie. "I love you, Angie," he said again. "Daddy loves you so much. I'll see you tomorrow."_

_"Say bye-bye, Daddy," Catherine whispered in her ear. "Love you."_

_"Wuv oo, Daddy," Angie said, and while the last tears of her tears were still shining in her eyes, she was also smiling as she said it._

_"That's my big girl," he said. "Bye-bye."_

_After the call disconnected, Catherine put down her phone and gave Angie another hug, kissing the top of her head._

_"Do you feel better, sweetheart?" she asked. "We'll see Daddy tomorrow." She leaned over enough to pluck a tissue from the end table. "Let's dry those tears, huh?" She gently wiped at Angie's cheeks. "There." Smiling, she asked, "Are you ready to play now?"_

_Angie nodded, but when Catherine moved to set her on the floor, she clung to her mother's t-shirt instead._

_"Okay," Catherine said understandingly. She shifted back against the sofa and held Angie against her. "We can stay right here a little longer." She smiled at Cammie who had remained beside them, resting her head on the cushion as close to Angie as she could get. Catherine reached over and rubbed her head, leaning her own against Angie's. "My girls," she said softly._

* * *

_Later, after Angie was asleep, Catherine place another videocall to Steve. "Hey," she said when he answered._

_"Hey, how's Angie?" he asked immediately._

_"She's okay," she assured him. "Had a little more mellow an evening than usual, but she fell asleep just fine."_

_He visibly relaxed, nodding. "Good."_

_"How are you?" she asked._

_He sighed, running a hand over the side of his face. "Seeing her cry like that … because I wasn't there … that just went right through me. Hard not to run home so I could dry her tears myself, you know?"_

_She smiled softly. "Yeah. But she's okay. She doesn't understand now why you're not here, but as she gets older, she will."_

_He nodded absently, and she waited, knowing he was still putting his thoughts together._

_"That's the first time I've ever seen someone cry because I was gone," he said slowly. "First time I've even thought about it. I mean, I know you've always missed me when I'm gone … for reserves, or before when I was deployed. Just like I missed you, but …" He paused, exhaling a long breath. "I spent so long thinking no one besides you really cared where I was or what I was doing." He shook his head. "It's been years and years since I've felt that way but seeing Angie crying … just brought that back, you know?" He gave her a soft smile. "But more than that, it reminded me that was never really the case."_

_She returned his smile. "That's right. You've always had people who cared, whether or not you knew it. And you have even more now."_

_He nodded._

_"And the most important is up there asleep," she went on with a smile. "And you'll see her tomorrow."_

_"Them," he corrected. "I'll see _them_ tomorrow."_

_Her smile grew. "Then get some sleep, sailor."_

_He nodded. "You, too. I love you, Cath."_

_"Love you."_

* * *

"Ohh, poor Angie," Gabby said after they'd finished describing Angie's emotional evening. "How was she when you saw her the next day?"

"Her usual, excited self," Steve said. "Maybe a little clingier than usual but … I didn't mind that," he added with a smile.

Catherine shook her head. "I still don't know what it was about that night that had her missing him so much."

"It hits them at different times," Danny said. "Sometimes it's worse when you first leave, other times it's later. Their reactions change as they get older," he continued, his gaze going to Grace down at the beach. "But it'll always affect you." He looked back at his partner. "And that's a good thing. You should be worried if it doesn't."

Steve nodded his understanding.

"Daddy!" Angie exclaimed suddenly, running toward him with Cammie close behind.

Catherine took his wine class so he had two free hands to scoop the squealing toddler up. She hugged him tightly, her small arms around his neck.

Steve smiled, looking over at Danny and Gabby. "I've been getting a lot of extra hugs this week," he said.

Danny grinned, watching the scene. Grace, who had followed her cousin at a more sedate pace, reached them and walked behind her father's chair, leaning over to hug him as well.

"It's hell being away," he said, clasping her forearm, "but nothing beats the hugs when you get back."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed!**

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